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Life does go on during and after war, but in what context? What changes do war and peace bring into our lives?
So long as you breathe, life goes on. During war, life still goes on but in a miserable way. All you think of is how to survive, whether you will be killed in the next minute, whether your family will be safe, whether they will be hungry or perpetually frightened. You become so aggressive and ready even to kill to defend yourself, your loved ones and your nation. War changes our lives completely and, when the war is over, other changes come. Then we no longer think of whether we shall be killed the next minute or having to fight to defend ourselves, loved ones or nation. We start thinking about how to push on with life after having lost our lifetime investments, our loved ones etc. War and peace changes our lives. It’s like moving from your home to a strange land legitimately but with no belongings to start a new life.
What human rights challenges do societies face during and after wars?
The worst challenges we experience during war are human right violations, such that even the right to live is taken away. Society becomes like a herd of sheep without a shepherd. People are raped, beaten, forced to work, captured, imprisoned without having committed crimes, humiliated and even forced to commit incest.
How can people living in these societies make peace and keep peace?
To err is human, but forgiveness is divine. People living in these societies have to learn to forgive and what others might have done to them during the war. Truth and reconciliation are very important in a post-war society. Societies are capable of existing because people in those societies have laws, and rules. Creating new laws and rules that will help bind the people together is an important aspect of making and keeping peace. Nevertheless, it is very difficult for a post-war society to live in complete peace as before the war.
What role does the media play in portraying violence and influencing the development of conflict?
The media is the most powerful instrument of change. The media can itself create war and peace. This powerful instrument, when badly used, leads to violence and the development of conflict. Disseminating the wrong information, negative critiques and popularizing violent images and programming will provoke violence and war. Take, for example, one society that says it is training solders to defend its people from violence. If the media says that society is declaring war against the other, what will happen next?
What about soldiers: their war-time experiences, their injuries, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the difficulty of adjusting to normal life when conflict is over?
He who is trained and sent to kill is a soldier, and he tries by all means to kill and destroy in order to defend himself and his nation. Nothing pains like seeing the blood of an innocent soul. Soldier or not you are a human being and you feel the pain and regret. You see your leg or hand cut off. Every night and day after war, you reflect and dream of the way you were injured, how people were screaming in pain, how parents were killed and orphaned children were crying for help and people smashing them and moving on. It is never a good experience. A forum where soldiers can apologise to their victims, counselling for every soldier, the option to drop out of the profession and advocate for peace and engaging in volunteer work to help the victims of war can help these soldiers who have suffered greatly from war.
What is psychological warfare?
To me, psychological warfare is an internal war fought by the self with the self. It is a most devastating war. The instruments of psychological warfare, which are immaterial, constitute attacks on your values, beliefs, emotions, motives, reasoning and behavior. When attacked in psychological warfare, you become totally unstable. Psychological warfare has always contributed to physical warfare.
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Writer Profile
emmanuel Enow
Arrey Emmanuel Enow is a Cameroonian and resident in Yaounde. He is the Assistant Manager of the Last Great Ape Organisation (LAGA). He is a writer and writes on diverse issues, both fictional and non-fictional.
He is the delegate in charge of education of 3A Chantal Biya Foundation, SG. Action for Citizen and Community Development and a human rights activist. He has a dream of influencing democracy, empowering communities and healing the world through writing.
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Comments
how stoppet psychological war? chrysi kampa | Apr 21st, 2010
good morning emmanuel me too i think psychological war is terrible,if we are the possibility stopped the psycholocical war the way for peace became more facile
thanks for your thinks
xtissi kampa
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